Don't throw out that banana peel—or that overly ripe banana. Put them to good use around your house instead.

Step 1: Shine your shoesRub the inside of a banana peel on anything made of leather—shoes, pocketbooks, jackets. Then wipe away the residue and buff with a lint-free cloth for a glossy gleam.

Step 2: Clean your houseplantsWipe down houseplant leaves; the peel removes dust and dirt and leaves them soft and shiny.

Step 3: Polish your furnitureTo get a great polish, smear pieces of an overripe banana on wood furniture with your fingers and then wipe off with a cloth.

Step 4: Soothe a bug biteTake the sting out of a mosquito bite by rubbing it with the inside of a banana skin.

Step 5: Erase ink stains from skinErase ink stains from your hands with the inside of a banana peel.

Step 6: Remove scratches from CDsRemove scratches from CDs by smearing some banana on the scratch in a circular motion. Rub it in with the inside of the banana peel and then wipe the CD with a lint-free cloth.

Step 7: Get rid of fruit fliesGet rid of fruit flies by putting a banana peel in a resealable plastic bag with the top half folded down. Wait an hour or two for all the fruit flies to gather on the peel, then seal the top of the bag and throw it away outside.

Fact:The average American eats 28 pounds of bananas a year, which pales next to Ugandans, who consume the most bananas of any country—about 500 pounds per person per year.